Circular-knitting machine



Dec. 13, 1927.

O. H. WALTON CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 19. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [77/ve71/0or 64 X 267;;

Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,547

0. H. WALTON CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 19, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fnx/eruborx Dec. 13, 1927.

O. H. WALTON CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 19. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 have/0607" Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES OLIVER H. WALTON, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 19, 1926.

This invention relates to an improved knitting machine for knitting fabric embodying therein an elastic strand, and the object of the invention is to knit a fabric which has a section in the central portion thereof in which the elastic strand is positioned in a series of rib courses, the rib courses being joined together by a series of plain courses, while the top and bottom sections of the fabric comprise rib courses with the elastic strand positioned therein and the rib courses joined directly together.

The fabric which is knitted by the machine of this invention is particularly adapted to be used for insets in corsets, or it ma be used in any article of clothing Where knitted fabric embodying therein an elastic strand is desirable.

The machine embodying my invention is the type of knitting machine known as a dial machine, comprising a stationary cylinder with needles, a stationary dial with needles and a rotary cam for actuating the cylinder needles and a rotary cam for actuating the dial needles.

The invention consists, therefore, in a circular: knitting machine having at least two feeds and embodying mechanisms whereby an elastic strand can be positioned in a series of rib knit courses connected together by a series of plain courses, the machine of this invention embodying therein in addition, means to automatically change the knitting instrumentalities so that a section containing a plurality of rib knit courses with an elastic strand positioned therein may be knitted, the rib knit courses being joined together by plain courses, and another section or'sections in which an elastic strand is positioned in a series of rib knit courses.

The invention consists, therefore, in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of my improved circular knitting machine illustrating two feeds and the pattern mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section and broken, as viewed from the left of Figure 1, and illustrating particularly the pattern mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan of the mechanism for actuating a movable cam piece in the dial cam.

Serial No. 102,897.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same, with the mechanism for actuating a movable cam p1ece in the cylinder cam.

F g. 5 is a plan of the mechanism for cutt ng and ho ding the yarn.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 6-6, Figure 5..

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation enlarged of the yarn cutting and holding device.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 8-8, Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a detail underneath plan of a portion of the dial cam illustrating particularly the pivoted member therein.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the cylinder needle cam particularly illustrating the movable arm forming a portion thereof, as all viewed fromvthe inside of the cylinder toward the outside thereof, or toward the right in Fig. 8.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawin s.

In the drawings, 11 is the needle cy inder, 12 the cylinder needles. Surrounding the needle cylinder 11 is a cam ring 13 rotated by means of gearing not shown in the drawlngs but in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Cams 14 are fastened to the inner face of the cam ring 13. The needles 12 are raised and lowered by means of the cams 14 and are also raised into operative position at a certain time in the rotation of the cam ring by means of an arm 15 which is pivoted at 16 to the cam ring and has a cam-shaped upper edge 17.

The arm 15 is raised and lowered by means of a pin 18 which projects through a hole 19 in the arm 15, the hole 19 being of larger diameter than the pin 18. The pin 18 projects through a slot 20 in the cam ring and is fastened to a vertical cylindrical slide 21 slidably mounted in the cam ring 13, and having rotatably mounted on its upper end a cam roll 22 whichengages a cam 23, which together with a spring 68 imparts a reciprocatory motion to the slide 21. The cam 23 is fast to, or forms a part of a star wheel 24, the star wheel and the cam being rotatably mounted upon a stud 25 which is fast to a plate 26, the plate 26 being, in turn, rigidly fastened to a horizontal dial cam disc 27. The dial camdisc 27 has cam plates 28 fast to the underside thereof and adapted to engage horizontal dial needles 29 slidably mounted in grooves provided in a stationary dial plate 30. A movable cam needles are a member 31 is pivoted at 32 to the underface of the cam disc 27 and is intermittently rocked upon its pivot 32 by a vertical pin 33 which projects downwardly through a slot 26 in the plate 26 from a slide 34 which is slidably mounted upon the plate 26 and,

. 24, the cam 23 and the cam 35 all rotate simultaneously upon the stud 25 and that they are rotated a portion of a rotation by engagement with a roll 36 rotatably mounted upon a stud 37 fast to an arm 37 which is fastened to another arm 38 which is fastened to a plate 41, and the plate 41 is fastened to a vertical reciproeatory rod 39 slidably mounted in a bracket 40. The plate41 is fastened to the upper end of a reciprocatory rod 42 mounted to slide in a portion of the frame 43.

A reciprocatory vertical motion is imparted to the rod 42, and therefore to the plate 41, the arm 37 and the roll 36 by an arm 44 against which the lower end of the rod 42 rests. The arm 44 is fastened to a rock shaft 45 mounted in a bracket 46 which is fastened to the frame, and the other end of the rock shaft 45 has an arm 47 fast thereto, the free end of which projects into the path of pins 48 fast to the dial wheel 4?), to which an intermittent rotary motion is imparted by a pawl 50 and ratchet 51 in a manner well known to those skilled in this art.

In the present embodiment of my invention two strands of yarn 52 are fed to the cylinder needles 12 through a yarn guide 53. There are, in this embodiment of my invention, twofeeds illustrated, A and B, and these feeds are duplicates of each other in so far as the star wheel mechanism and the dial cam operating mechanism are concerned, but in the second feed B there is no mechanism for operating a movable cam in the needle c linder cam as the cylinder l ways in operation in the second feed while the-dial needles are intermittently thrown into and out of operation for the purpose hereinafter described.

The feed A has, in addition to the mechanism for operating the movable cam members in the cylinder cam and in the dial cam, a cutter mechanism which is particularly illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and consists of a movable cutter 54, pivoted at 55 to a bracket 56 which is mounted upon the rotary cam ring 13. A clamping finger 57 is also mounted upon the pivotal stud 55. The cut- .ter 54 and the clamping finger 57 are both rocked upon the pivotal stud 55 at certain predetermined times by a slidable member 58 which is slidably mounted in a plate 59 fast to the bracket 56, the outer end of which engages a cam plate 60 during the rotation of the cam ring 13. This pushes the slide member 58 inwardly toward the center of the cylinder and dial and thus rocks the cutter 54 and the clamping finger 57 to cut the yarn 52. The cutter 54 co-operates in its action with the stationary cutter blade 61 and the clamping finger pushes the free end of the yarn 52 in between the stationary cutter blade 61 and a stationary clamping plate 63, thus holding the yarn until the clamping finger is removed. A spring 64 moves the slide 58, the cutter 54 and the clamping finger 57 in the opposite direction to that in which they are moved by the action of the cam 60 when the outer end of the slide 58 engages it, that is, the spring 64 holds the cutter 54 and the clamp finger 57 normally in a cutting and clamping position respectively until they are momentarily opened by the cam plate 60 when it is desired to release the thread, or when it is desired to again cut the thread and subsequently clamp it. The cam plate 60 is raised and lowered into and out of the path of the slide 58 by the plate 41, to which it is fastened and to which a vertical motion is imparted, as hereinbefore set forth, by the pattern mechanism.

An elastic strand 65 is guided by a strand guide 66 to the cylinder and dial needles, the guide 66 being fastened to the rotary dial plate 27.

The general operation of the mechanism hereinbefore specifically described is as follows :Assum1ng the different parts of the mechanism to be in the relative positiOnS illustrated in Figure 1, at which time the cylinder needles and the dial needles in feed A are both operating to form a rib stitch with the elastic strand 65 positioned or enclosed therein and the cutter blade 54 and the clamp finger 57 have been momentarily opened to release the yarn 52 and allow it to feed to the needles, and the cylinder needles of feed B are in operation and the dial needles are out of operation, the machine will then he knitting a fabric which consists of a series of rib knit courses with the elastic strand 65 enclosed in each course, and the rib courses will be joined together b plain courses knitted on the feed B in which at this time the needle cylinders only are operating.

When it is desired to change from knitting the section just described to a section in which the e'lastic strand is enclosed in rib knit courses, but only the rib knit courses are joined directly to each other and the plain courses are omitted, then the pattern mechanism is so timed that one of the pins 48 will engage the arm 47 and raise the roll 36 into the path of the star wheels 24 of the feed A and 24 of the feed B and the plate 60 into the path of the slide 58. Then upon the rotation of the cam ring 13 and the dial cam disc 27, the star wheel 24 will first be rotated to move the slide 21 downwardly and thus rock the pivoted cam plate 15 from the operative position shown in full lines, Fig. 10, to the inoperative position shown in dotted lines in said figure. At the same time the cam will be operated to move the slide 34 inwardly and thus, through the pin 33, rock the cam plate 31 of the dial cam from the operative position illustrated in full lines, Fig. 9, to the inoperative position illustrated in dotted lines in said Figure 1. It will be understood that normally the clamping finger 57 and the movable cutter blade 54 are in the position illustrated in Fig. 7, that is, in a closed position, and when it is desired to release the thread the movable cutter 54 and the movable clamp finger 57 are operated as hereinbefore described to open them momentarily and release the thread and are then closed by the action of the spring 64 as soon as the slide 58 passes beyond the cam 60. The cam 60 is then lowered out of the path of the slide 58 and is raised again into the path of the slide 58 in order that the cutters may opened at a predetermined time to allow the thread to pass between the two cutters and to be cut and clamped when the slide 58 :5 passes beyond the cam 60. When the thread engage the cam 60 and the yarns 52 will be severed by the cutters 54 and 61 and the free ends of the yarns clamped as illustrated in Fig. 7 by the clamping finger 57 between the stationary cutter blade 61 and the stationary clamping blade 63.

It will be understood that the cams are rotating in the direction of the arrow 0, Figure 1, so that the star whee'l oli the feed A arrives at the roll 36 ahead of the star wheel 24 of the feed B.

It will also be understood that the cylinder needles are always in operation as to the feed B. \Vhen the star wheel 24 engages the roll 36 then its cam slide and movable cam lever will be operated to allow the cam slide to move outwardly and bring its cam lever into operative position, and then the dial needles and the cylinder needles will both operate in feed B, and the elastic strand 65 will be fed to the cylinder and dial needles of the feed B.

In order to produce this course of operations, it will be noted that the cam 35 of the feed A is in a position to allow the cam slide 34 to assume its outward position and thus bring the movable cam piece 31 into operative position with respect to the dial needles, but in feed B the cam 35 is relatively at right angles to the position of the cam 35 in feed A. Therefore, the cam slide 34', feed B, as shown in Fig. 1, is in its innermost position and the movable cam arm 31 in the dial cam feed B is in the inoperative position relatively to the dial needles. Now when the star wheels in feeds A and B are rotated a quarter turn, from the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, the cam 35, feed A, will assume the position formerly occupied by cam 35, feed B, and vice versa, and the cam slide 34, feed A, will be moved inwardly and the cam piece 31 will be moved out of operative position with respect to the dial needles, but in feed B the cam slide 34 will be moved to its outermost position and the movable cam arm '31 in the dial cam feed B will be moved to the operative position relatively to the dial needles.

It is also evident that without departing from the spirit of my invention, the cylinder and dial could be rotated and the needle cams and dial cams remain stationary, in which case the yarn guides and the elastic yarn guide would remain stationary.

I claim 1. A knitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn teed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the firstfeed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a movable cam member in the cylinder needle cam for the first food, and means to position said movable cam members whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to provide a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses.

2. knitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, :1

pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms. means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, -a

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movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a movable cam member in the cylinder needle cam for the first feed, means to position said movable cam members, whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to produce a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses, a cutter for the yarn of the first feed, and means to operate said cutter to sever and hold the free end of the yarn of the first feed, and means to position said movable cam members to throw both sets of needles out of operation at the first feed and to throw'thedial needles into operation with the cylinder needles at the second feed while the elastic strand is being fed to the needles at the second feed to produce a knitted fabric, which comprises a series of rib knit courses with an elastic strand therein.

3. Aknitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a movable cam member in the cylinder needle cam for the first feed, and means to position said movable cam members, whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to provide a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain -knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses, the means for moving the cam member in said cylinder needle cam for the first feed comprising a vertical reciprocatory slide connected to said cam member, and

means to actuate the slide at predetermined times to position the movable cam member in an operative or inoperative position relatively to the cylinder needles while the movable cam member for the dial'necdles for,the first feed is simultaneously positioned in an operative or inoperative position respectively relatively to the dial needles.

4. A knitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair ofrotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the, needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a. cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam movable cam member in thecylinder needle cam for the first feed, and means to position said movable cam members, the means for moving the cam member in said cylinder needle cam for the first feed comprising a vertical reciprocatory slide connected to said cam member, a horizontal star wheel, a cam fast to said star wheel adapted to actuate said slide, a contact member and a pattern mechanism adapted to move said contact member at predetermined times into and out of the path of said star Wheel, whereby an intermittent rotary mm'ement may be im parted thereto and said movable cam member be placed in an operative or inoperative position relatively to the cylinder needles while the movable cam member for the dial needles for the first feedis simultaneously positioned in an operative or inoperative position respectively relatively to the dial needles.

5. A knitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively, and a pivoted arm constituting a movable cam member in the cylinder needle cam for the first feed, and means to position said movable cam members, whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to provide a knitted fabric constituting alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses, the means for positioning the pivoted arm in said cylinder needle cam for the first feed comprising a vertical reciprocatory slide connected to said pivoted arm, and means to actuate said slide at predetermined times to position the pivoted arm in an operative or inoperative position relatively to the cylinder needles while the movable cam member for the dial needles for the first feed is simultaneously positioned in an operative or inoperative position respectively relatively to the dial needles.

6. A knitting machine having, in combination. a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guidepositioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a movable cam member in the cylinder needle for each of said feeds respectively and a cam for the first feed, and means to position said movable cam members whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to provide a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses, the means for moving the cam members in said dial needle cam comprising a horizontal reciprocatoi'y slide connected to each of said movable dial cam members respectively, and means to actuate each of said slides respectively at predetermined times to position the movable dial cam members in operative or inoperative positions respectively relatively to the dial needles the movable cam member for the cylinder needles for the first feed being positioned simultaneously with the movable dial cam member for the first feed in an operative or inoperative position respectively relatively to the cylinder needles.

7. A knitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a movable cam member inthe cylinder needle cam for the first feed, and means to position said movable cam members whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to provide a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain kn t courses with an elastic strand in the rib kn t courses, the means for moving the cam members in said dial needle cam comprising a horizontal reciprocatory slide connected to each of said movable dial cam members respec-,

tively, a horizontal rotary star wheel, and a cam fast to each of said star wheels respectively and adapted to engage said slides, a contact member and a pattern mechanism adapted to move said contact member at predetermined timcs into and out of the aths of said star wheels, whereby an intermittent rotary movement may be imparted thereto and said movable cam members be placed in an operative or inoperative position relativelv to the dialnecdles the movable cam member for the cylinder needles for the first feed being positioned simultaneously with the movable dial cam member for the first feed in an operative or inoperative position respectively relatively to the cylinder needles.

8. A knitting machine having, in combination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles. a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said dial needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, :1 pivoted arm constituting a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a pivoted arm constituting a movable cam member in the cylinder needle cam for the first feed and means to position said pivoted arms whereby both sets of needles operate at the first feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the second feed to provide a knitted fabric com prising alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses, the means for positioning the pivoted arms in said dial needle cam comprising a horizontal reciprocatory slide connected to each of said pivoted dial cam arms respectively,

and means to actuate each of said slides respectively at predetermined times to position the pivoted dial cam arms in operative or inoperative positions respectively relatively to the dial needles the pivoted arm for the cylinder needles for the first feed being positioned simultaneously with the pivoted dial cam arm for the first feed in an operative or inoperative position respec- 'tively relatively to the cylinder needles.

9. A knitting machine having, in combination, a needle cylinder and needles, a dial and needles, a pair of yarn feed mechanisms. means in each feed to guide y'arn to the needles, a yarn guide to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam, and means to position said movable cam member, whereby both sets of needlespperate at one feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the other feed to provide a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses.

10. A knitting machine having, in conr bination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each food to guide yarn to the needles. a ro tary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an ela tic strand to the needles, a cam for said cyliin der needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively. and a movable cam member in the cylinder nccdlc cam for one of said feeds. and means to position said movable cam members whcrcbv both sets of needles operate at one feed and the cylinder needles only operate at the other feed to provide a knitted fabric comprising alternate rib and plain knit courses with an elastic strand in the rib knit courses.

1].. A knitting machine having, in comlpi i bination, a stationary needle cylinder and needles, a stationary dial and needles, a pair of rotary yarn feed mechanisms, means in each feed to guide yarn to the needles, a rotary yarn guide positioned in advance of the first feed mechanism to feed an elastic strand to the needles, a cam for said cylinder needles, a cam for said dial needles, a movable cam member in said dial needle cam for each of said feeds respectively and a movable cam member in the cylinder needle cam for one of said feeds, means to osition said movable cam members, where y both sets of needles operate at one feed and the 1 cylinder needles only operate at the other elastic strand in the rib knit courses, a cutter for the yarn of one of said feeds, and means to operate said cutter to sever and hold the free end of the yarn of its respective feed, and means to position said movable cam members to throw both sets of needles out of operation at one feed and to throw the dial needles into operation with the cylinder needles at the other feed, while the elastic strand is being fed to the needles at said other feed to produce a knitted fabric which comprises a series of rib knit courses with an elastic strand therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OLIVER H. WALTON. 

